u/machiavelli_23

Hey everyone,

this is my current desk setup and I’m at that annoying point where I actually like it, but it still feels like something is missing or not quite right. I just can’t put my finger on what it is.

My main display is a Dell U4025QW 40" 5K2K ultrawide, which I use with either a MacBook Pro M5 or MacBook Air M6. I really like the Dell and definitely want to keep it as my main display.

macOS scaling is a bit of a topic with this monitor as well. I’m currently using BetterDisplay to run a comfortable HiDPI-scaled resolution. It works pretty well, but I’d also be interested to hear how other Mac users with this monitor handle scaling.

The one thing I haven’t figured out is a second display.

I’d mainly like one for screen sharing in Teams or Spotify, since sharing the entire 5K2K ultrawide isn’t exactly ideal for the people on the other end. Having a separate screen for Teams, Spotify or reference stuff would also be nice.

I actually had a 16" 2.5K Arzopa portable monitor sitting below/in front of the Dell for a while. I’ve removed it again because the viewing angle and the whole stacked-screen arrangement just felt a bit awkward and I never really liked using it. It also required a DisplayLink adapter, which added another layer of complexity.

Before that, I also tried a 27" Alienware in landscape next to the Dell on a monitor arm. Technically it worked, but it felt like way too much screen and made the desk look pretty unbalanced.

So now I’m wondering what you guys would do with this exact setup.

Small vertical monitor next to the Dell? Something mounted above it? Give the 16" portable another shot in a different position? Or just forget about a second display entirely?

And beyond the monitor question, I’m open to anything. Speaker placement, monitor height, lighting, cable management, accessories, removing stuff instead of adding more stuff, etc.

It feels like the setup is 90% there, but I can’t figure out the last 10%.

What would you change? Feel free to roast it.